Number of convenience stores declined in June, says LDC

The number of convenience stores in the UK underwent a net decline in June, the latest figures from the Local Data Company (LDC) show.

LDC said convenience retail, along with leisure and service retail, all experienced net growth at the beginning of the year. But the last month of the second quarter saw all categories join comparison goods retail in a decline in numbers.

The second quarter started well, but ended up with a net loss of 207 shops across all categories for the three months from April to June. This ended seven months of consecutive growth.

LDC said overall levels of opening and closure activity had been moderating since September 2016 and had now sunk to their lowest level in three years.

Matthew Hopkinson, director at LDC, said: “We have become used to talking about the effects of uncertainty on retail, as though uncertainty is not natural in business.

“But uncertainty really only applied to the period before the referendum, when we were simply unsure of the outcome. The question at this point is whether consumers and the businesses that service their wants and needs are approaching the future with optimism or trepidation.”